November 20, 1926
The rise of the Liverpool club furnishes something of a romance in the history of football. In its comparatively short existence, all that the pioneers of the Anfield Road organisation set out to attain, with the one exception – the English Cup – has been achieved. As old time followers of football om Merseyside knows, the Liverpool club was formed in 1892, following upon the famous split that resulted in Everton going to Goodison Park.
When the schism occurred in the Everton camp, a meeting was held in March, 1892, in the house of Mr. John Houlding, who had done so much in the direction of fostering Association Football in the district. Ways and means came under discussion, and eventually it was decided to form the Liverpool Club. With preliminaries adjusted, a committee was formed and the scheme launched.
The members of the first committee, some of whom still follow the progress of the club, were: – Messrs. John Houlding, Wm. Houlding, Alexander Nisbet, John McKenna, Charles Lindsay, Wm. Francis Evans, Thomas Howarth, Wm. Everitt, John Dermott, John Jas. Ramsay, and W.E. Barclay, the last named acting as Honorary Secretary.
At the outset there were many difficulties to overcome, including the objection of the Liverpool Rugby Club to the Anfielders taking the name of Liverpool, but these were solved. The financial question was also a serious problem, relieved eventually on Mr. Houlding coming to the rescue.
Then followed the task of placing the club upon popular basis. A Company was formed with a nominal capital of £15,000 divided into 15,000 ordinary shares of £1 each “for the purpose of carrying on a Football and Athletic Club in all its branches and for the purpose of acquiring the freehold property lately known as the Everton Football ground, containing about 13,600 square yards of land and also about 9,700 square yards of freehold land adjoining to the North and West owned by Mr. John Orrell, which it is acknowledged will together make one of the finest football grounds in the United Kingdom.”
(Joint Everton and Liverpool Match Programme: November 20, 1926)
John Houlding
"Play Up, Liverpool" 